Beat writer’s block – get in the zone

bySimononNovember 23, 2007

If you can’t get round to writing, the problem could be that you’re just not in the right frame of mind. And maybe you never quite get into the right mindset for putting your words on paper. But you can change this, you can get yourself into the writing zone.

Writers get in the zone, too.

You’ve probably heard about being in the zone or ‘in flow’ from sports. When a player’s in the zone, they are almost unbeatable, like everything just comes so naturally to them.

It’s a big subject this, but essentially it boils down to freeing your unconscious mind and letting it take charge for a change. When you do, amazing things can happen.

But can that work for writing? It can and it does.

Writers get in the zone, too. It’s a state where you are relaxed and focused and where the words just start to flow.

Let go of the inner critic

Step one to getting into this state is let go of the inner critic. Stop judging your work as you write, this just stops you dead in your tracks. Just keep going keep getting words on paper. Write it first, make it good later on, by editing.

If you can’t think what to write, it doesn’t matter. Just start. Write anything at all, the first thing that comes into your head. Then keep going.

But you also need to get relaxed before you sit down to write. How do you do this? There are lots of ways, but one I can thoroughly recommend is hypnosis.

You can get into a state of self-hypnosis using a variety of recordings that are available on the web. This can be an ideal way to really prepare your unconscious to get ready for freeing your creativity.

There’s even a hypnosis recording you can download (though it costs a few dollars), which will help you get past writer’s block. And it’s not just for fiction writers either. This could help you write your blog, your essay, maybe even a management report.

I love those times where I’m ‘in the zone’. That is one of the reasons I love http://writeordie.com/#Web+App – you don’t have time to edit, you have to speed your way through in the hopes that you don’t get any prods because you’ve stopped too long. I don’t chance Kamikaze mode (it eats your words), but just the flashing screen on evil mode is enough to get my fingers moving again. So useful that I achieved 1,048 words in 15 minutes – a record for me!

Thanks so much for all your thought provoking pieces. I will continue to bob in and read more when I am able.

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